


Destiny May Not Be So Bad After All

by HayamaRei



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, It's set during the summer after the Triwizard Tournament, M/M, it's alright though, or only the most awkward thing to happen in Remus' life, the sequel it took me three years to write, the soulmate talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 05:58:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14994299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HayamaRei/pseuds/HayamaRei
Summary: Nymphadora Tonks can't wait to see colour for all the most selfish reasons. Luckily for her Destiny may just have her covered on that.-----The "Everyone is born seeing black and white until they meet their soulmate and colour flows into their life" AU





	Destiny May Not Be So Bad After All

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to[Against All Odds (Destiny Is Overrated)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5277353) so you might want to go read that first. Still could be read as a stand-alone though, you won't be missing much. 
> 
> I've been wanting to make a sequel ever since I first wrote Against All Odds and went through a hundred different ideas of how to go with it. This is what I settled on, and you should probably be happy because many of the other outcomes ended up with angst. 
> 
> Anyway, I am happy with where this went and I hope you like it too. Feedback very much appreciated <3

Nymphadora Tonks was a colourful person or so she liked to believe. She had her own thing going, didn’t like being told what to do, didn’t like being called Nymphadora. She liked colours, even though she couldn’t see them. Being a metamorphmagus and colourblind wasn’t the greatest combination; she had every colour in the universe at her disposal but was limited by her lack of a soulmate from tapping into the true extent of her abilities. So she imagined them, made up her own colours inside her mind and turned her hair every single one of them. And it worked. Her mother always complimented her on her choices and her father compared her to a muggle musician who wrote beautiful music despite being deaf. Tonks made it work and yet, secretly, she couldn’t wait to finally see her work in its full glory. To think pink and see it with her physical eyes, not just with her inner one. To turn herself the colours of a whole garden of flowers the way they truly were. 

Apart from her colourblind genius, Tonks was other things no less weird than it. She was a rebel in her own private way. She wore her tie anywhere but around her neck, she wore combat boots underneath her robes, she transformed into teachers and made impersonation night a thing in the Hufflepuff dorm, she drove professor Sprout up the wall with her gimmicks and left Hogwarts with her very own Hufflepuff legacy for the students to talk about. All in all she considered her school years to be a success. 

Becoming an Auror was also an act of rebellion, even if no one saw it as such. It was her own personal one-woman quest to eradicate the Black from her blood. Her mother didn’t talk about her family much but Tonks knew enough. She knew about her mother’s sisters and how one was in Azkaban for being so loyal to you-know-who. She knew about Sirius Black, the only other person from the family her mother had considered decent until he’d turned around and almost ruined the entire world. She knew enough to want to go against everything the Black family ever stood for and hunt down people like them to continue her mother’s legacy of proving that blood didn’t define a person.

Joining the Order of the Phoenix when Mad-eye told her about it was just a logical step up from what she was doing already. It came as a surprise that Sirius Black wasn’t in fact the murderer everyone thought he was, but she was glad there was one more like her out there. She was excited to meet him. 

Grimmauld Place was, even for a colourblind person, dark and well, grim. It reeked of dark magic in the way only a house soaked through with generations of it could. It went against everything Tonks was and stepping foot in it was enough to make her feel out of place. It was dirty, stale, dusty, black, pun intended, and claustrophobic despite actually being a pretty big house. And that was what she gathered only by standing in the foyer. 

“Black, Lupin, and Fletcher are here,” Moody grumbled and began limping further into the house. “Come on, no time to waste.” 

There was plenty of time to waste since no meeting would take place until hours later, but Tonks didn’t point that out. Her mentor was quirky in his own way and it was better not to argue about some things. Besides, she was excited to meet Sirius and the others. She didn’t really know anything about Mundungus Fletcher except that Moody didn’t like him, but she’d heard about Remus Lupin. She knew he was an old friend of Sirius’, that he’d been in the first Order as well, and that not even two years prior he’d been outed to the whole Wizarding world as a werewolf. She’d been furious with Snape after reading the article the Prophet had written about it. She was going to make a point and be the guy’s best damned friend just to spite that slime bag. 

Moody lead them into the kitchen, which was just as claustrophobic as the rest of the house but felt warmer, less suffocating with a big fire roaring in the fireplace and actual laughter coming from the two people sitting at the table. They stopped when Mad-eye walked in, the sound of their voices still echoing for a second after that. The first person Tonks laid her eyes on was Sirius Black. He looked younger than he did on all the flyers in the ministry where he resembled a skeletal creature with matted hair, dark circles so big his eyes were lost in them and skin almost completely white. He looked fuller now, had gained enough weight to look human again, his hair was washed and pulled in a bun, his skin was more the shade it was normal for people to be. His dark circles were almost gone, but Tonks could understand why he still had them. He’d been through hell. 

Then she turned to look at Lupin and for a moment everything seemed to freeze. Then slowly, very slowly the gray of Lupin’s eyes faded, giving way to a warm amber colour, then his skin, his hair, his robes, the table in front of him, and then the whole room was bursting with colour and it managed to knock the air out of her. She blinked, so did Lupin. His eyes widened and then he seemed to snap out of it, turning to look at his friend so fast it gave Tonks whiplash. She was still caught up in the moment, comprehending what just happened. 

Sirius on the other hand was faster to catch up with the situation. His face twisted for the briefest of seconds then fell into neutral calmness. Moody seemed to sense something big was taking place, maybe his eye was tuned to these things, and kept his quiet, stepping to the side as if to give them more space. 

“I think you two need to talk.” Sirius said calmly, looking from Lupin to her, and she wasn’t sure if she imagined him clenching his jaw. Everything looked different now. 

Lupin bit his lip. “Sirius-” he began but was cut of by the other placing his hand on his arm. They seemed to have an entire conversation without speaking a word that ended with Lupin nodding and standing up. 

“Hi.” He said when he was in front of Tonks, his eyes dancing from her own eyes to her hair, to the colourful bottles lined up on the wall beside them. 

“Hi.” She replied, sounding breathless. “I’m Tonks.” 

“Remus.” 

“I know.” He laughed and he smiled at it. 

“I think we should,” he pointed at the door awkwardly. “The living room’s that way, it will give us some privacy.”

Without waiting he rounded her and headed out the door.

Following the man gave Tonks time to actually process what had just happened. She’d met her soulmate. The person destined to be her other half. A man. Her heart began racing, more and more thoughts flooding her mind, making her crash into Lupin’s back when he stopped inside the living room. 

“Sorry,” she apologized quickly, awkward smile stretching on her lips. 

He shook his head. “It’s okay.” 

Silence fell, no one saying a word for the longest of moments. Lupin’s face was a chaos of emotions and the curtains behind him were a hideous shade of green. She already had a least favourite colour and she’d never even thought it possible. 

At last Lupin opened his mouth. “This is actually incredible.” He said, and sounded a little in awe. Tonks was going to feel bad about it until she realized he was looking at a colourful tapestry on the wall. 

“The curtains suck.” She said.

He turned around to have a look. “Those are actually hideous.” He deadpanned, making her laugh. “Your hair is amazing, though.” 

Her hair! She’d almost forgotten. Quickly she pulled a strand to take a look at it. It was very purple. She liked it. A quick thought and the purple turned bright pink. She liked that even more. Lupin gasped. 

“You’re a metamorphmagus!.” He sounded astonished and she shrugged happily. 

“I’d never actually seen what the colours I’ve been aiming for are.” She commented, examining the strand between her fingers. “I think I love this one.” 

“It’s lovely.” 

Lupin’s words brought her back to the present once more and she tried not to frown. She knew things like this didn’t usually go easy, and Lupin seemed like a decent person, it was going to be hard. 

Taking a deep breath she prepared herself for a speech she’d been rehearsing since she first discovered herself, just in case. “About us,” she began and Lupin’s face twisted into something that very much resembled mortification. 

“Wait.” He said, stopping her from speaking further. “Before we, uh… Before you say anything... ”He looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot, not really looking at her in the eye. “Have you heard of platonic soulmates?” 

The question took her by surprise, making her answer a very eloquent “What?” 

“Platonic soulmates.” Lupin repeated, shoving his hands into his robes’ pockets. “It’s when you find your soulmate but you don’t… You don’t go traditional with them. For example if your soulmate is sixty years older than you, you can’t really-” 

“I know what a platonic soulmate is.” She interrupted, still confused by where this was going. 

Lupin nodded and licked his lips. “Right.” He paused, frowning as if unsure what words to speak next so Tonks beat him to it. 

“Do you, maybe, want us to be platonic?” She asked carefully. She didn’t want to make the wrong assumption off the bat. 

He looked at her with apology written all over his face. “I’m sorry. I know… I know this is a big thing for everyone and people wait their entire lives for this but I really can’t do it.” 

Tonks couldn’t believe her luck, or her ears for that matter. Maybe she was imagining the whole conversation. “Are you kidding?” She asked, disbelief echoing in her voice. “This is the best possible outcome!” 

It was Lupin’s turn to look confused. “What?” 

Tonks couldn’t contain the big smile forming on her lips. Her hair turned a shade brighter. “I’ve been preparing to let my soulmate down if they turned out to be a man ever since I was thirteen.” She explained. 

Lupin blinked at her. “You’re not into men.” It wasn’t a question but she nodded. 

In the blink of a moment the rigid posture Lupin was holding fell, he let his shoulders relax, his face read pure relief, an actual sigh fell from his lips and suddenly he looked five years younger. It was a good look on him. 

“I’m assuming you already have someone then?” She allowed herself to ask because the man across her was her soulmate and that gave her all the right to be nosy. 

Lupin laughed and gave a nod. 

“Sirius?” She guessed, suddenly the exchange in the kitchen making a lot of sense. 

“Was it obvious?” Lupin, no Remus, asked. 

Tonks shrugged. “I’m an auror, I have to notice things. He was the first person you turned to.” 

He smiled fondly. “He’s been seeing colour since we were at school. I have some catching up to do.”

She smiled back.”Be sure to do that.” A pause where they just looked at each other, tension now completely gone and Tonks felt brave enough to speak again. “Can I hug you now? I feel like this demands a hug. A very big platonic hug.” 

Remus laughed and spread his arms in invitation. 

Hugging him felt nice. It felt comfortable, like home. Like a big brother hug, familiar even though she’d never touched him before, warm and welcoming. She could see herself opening up to him, trusting him, she supposed that’s what the bond did. There was no spark of desire the way books often described, there was no pull of attraction, just pure warmth. It was perfect. 

“This is nice.” She grinned and his body shook with a laugh. 

“It is.” He agreed through a hum and pulled away several seconds later. “I should probably go and talk to Sirius because he’s definitely losing his mind right now. He’s not showing it but I know.” 

“That’s understandable.” She nodded, taking a step back. 

Remus chuckled. “When he first saw colour he freaked out and didn’t tell anyone for days. It was quite the experience, especially when he couldn’t stop looking at every vegetable on his plate during dinners.” He confided, making Tonks laugh as well. 

“You’re going to have to tell me all about it. I’m his cousin and I need to know dirty secrets.It’s the rules now.” Her words made them burst into laughter and she really liked how easily they slipped into that comfortable state. 

“Only if I get to hear about your Hogwarts escapades first hand.” At her frown he added. “I was a teacher there and you left an impression.” 

“Damn right I did!” She beamed, feeling proud of herself. “You got a deal.” 

\----- 

Sirius was not freaking out. There was nothing to freak out about. Him and Remus had talked about this many times, they always reached the same conclusion. Remus took him back after Azkaban, Remus never found someone else, he’d never stopped believing Sirius’ innocence despite all the evidence against him. He took him back with open arms and held him during the nightmares he had almost every night when the Dementors seeped back into his mind and drove him mad. 

Tonks, Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda’s daughter Tonks, was purple. Colourful, young, most probably unplagued by the demons that rarely let go of Sirius anymore, she wasn’t like him. She wasn’t Black. She could let Remus sleep through a full night. She could take him to family gatherings. She could put more colour into his life than Sirius ever would and it made a ball wedge itself in his throat. 

Sirius was maybe freaking out a little. 

He didn’t mean to eavesdrop but his heart fell in his heels when the two’s laughter carried down the hall. Tonks’ voice rang like a bell, clear and unburdened and Sirius felt like crying. But he didn’t. He sat on the table, where he’d been left, alone since Moody decided to go and make sure Mundungus wasn’t stealing anything, and drowned in his own fears. 

It was a few minutes until Remus returned to the kitchen, thankfully alone. His face was lit up by a smile, his eyes bright and Sirius’ stomach made three new knots. 

Remus didn’t speak as he took his previous seat. He just stared at his face for a very long moment. 

“Your eyes are gray.” He said finally. 

“Uh, yes.” Sirius managed out. “Disappointing, isn’t it?”

Remus shook his head. “I like it. It’s different than before somehow.” 

“Yes?” 

“Yes.” Remus nodded. “Colours are amazing.” He breathed out, smiling and Sirius’ heart swelled. “I never knew what I was missing out.” 

Sirius forced out a laugh. “I know. Her hair is purple.” 

“Pink now.” Remus corrected. “She’s a metamorphmagus.” 

Great. Just great. “Oh. Fascinating.” 

Remus watched him with something akin to amusement and Sirius couldn’t figure out why. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He demanded. 

“You’re freaking out.” Remus said. 

“Am not.” 

“You are, my Padfoot senses are sharp.” 

“Why would I freak out?” He tried to defend but knew the other could see right through him. 

Remus shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe because you’re you?” 

“Sod off.” 

Remus took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “She’s not even into guys.” 

It took Sirius a second to register it. “Really?” 

Remus nodded. “We were both kind of freaking out trying to let the other down easy and we didn’t even have to do that.” He laughed. “We’re okay. You and me, me and her, it’s all okay.” 

Sirius felt so relieved he could probably cry. “Where is she now?” He asked, a lot lighter this time. 

“Changing colours in front of the mirror.” Remus said. “She has a lot of catching up to do.”

“I bet.” 

“So do we.”

“You bet.”

“Sirius?” 

“Hm?” 

“I love you.” 

“I love you, too Moony.” 

Remus pulled him into a sweet kiss and for a blissful moment nothing was wrong with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Tonks is queer and you can fight me on it


End file.
